Draft letter to local pet store about betta care....

[CrankyFish84]

What do you guys think?
I didn't want to come off as too preachy...I think you catch more flys with honey.
BTW - I'm not stuck up, I know nobody is really jealous of mine & I'm not an expert by any means... I just said that to get my point across stronger! I flourished a bit. lol
I don't sound as pissed as I really am because I'm trying to be polite..play the "game" as it were.


Dear Sir,
I've been a big fan of your store since it opened. It has very friendly staff, great live
plants, and the hard to find dog/cat foods.
I know this sounds weird, but I was a bit concerned about the way the bettas
are treated. I know they are "just fish", but please hear me out...

From a business prospective, I believe you could charge way more
for the bettas...IF, they had some sort of multidivided & heated showcase.
A video on Youtube showed a Walmart with a system like this, and
it looked fantastic.
You get some pretty unique betta colorings/tail types that Petco or Petsmart do not get.
I show pix of the ones I bought from you on betta fish forums & everyone
is jealous.
However, they didn't look that great when I bought them. Some were barely alive in a half inch of water & I felt bad so I took them.
When brought home, I gave them all at least 3 gallons or more, and a heater.
I believe if given a bit more room to swim, they would show off their true
& more brilliant colors, and attract more buyers.
Everyone who sees mine are totally amazed bettas can be so active, friendly, & have such
impressive fins...they fall in love & ask me how much I paid...And are shocked
when I say $3-$5. Most people have never seen a betta in a healthy environment.
Then they ask me how to care for them, what to buy, etc...I've converted many to being addicted to this fish.
Betta fans are a rabid bunch, just see the forum on www.tropicalfishkeeping.com!
Fans lament the fact they can only find certain colors or tail types on
AquaBid.com & have to order them from Thailand. People drop $100 on one they
"have to have". They spend even more on decorations & plants to spoil their betta(s).
I just bought a female from a local nationally well regarded breeder for $18.
Kept in a cold tiny "betta bowl" or "picture frame", they live a sad boring life that is
cut in half.

If you showed them differently than other stores, word of mouth would spread,
and people would come from all over to buy them.

Thank you very much for your time & consideration!

[TaylorW]

It sounds nice to me! If I was a store manager, I certainly wouldn't be offended by it. I like how you used the point that they could charge more money for them if they look healthier, that might catch their attention! :)

[LikeDiscoSuperfly]

I think it sounds nice as well.
And it's true.. when I was looking for a betta, if I had gone somewhere with super healthy bettas that were well taken care of, I would have bought one there and paid more.

[celine18]

i think this is an amazing idea! it's a good start, but i've made some grammatical changes, and reworded a few things that were bothering me. they're just suggestions, so you can do what you want. I tried to give it a more professional air, so they would take you more seriously. i also flipped some things around, so it flowed better between the way things are to how you want them to be.

Originally Posted by CrankyFish84

Dear Sir,
I have been a big fan of your store since it opened. It has very friendly staff, great live plants, and the hard to find dog/cat foods.
However, I am a bit concerned about the way the bettas
are cared for. They are kept in small cups with very little water. Yes, this is the norm for betta fish, but i believe there is a better option for you to employ to showcase your bettas. I suggest setting up tanks that are divided and heated. I once saw a video on Youtube that showed a Walmart with a system like this, and it looked fantastic (i suggest adding a link for said video). I think if you were to adopt this set-up that you would be justified in charging more for your bettas. The fish would be much happier and healthier, and would be much prettier, so i think paying a few extra dollars would pe a trade-off most people would take.

I have been buying bettas from you for _____ months/years. I show pictures of the ones I have bought from you on betta fish forums & everyone is jealous. They always say they're very pretty and healthy. I keep my fish in 3 or more gallon tanks with heaters, and they have blossomed from the origional state they were in when i bought them to become the beautiful fish they are now.

I believe if given a bit more room to swim, your in-store stock would similarily show off their true & more brilliant colors, and would attract more buyers. Everyone who sees mine are amazed that bettas can be so active, friendly, and have such impressive fins; they fall in love. (I would leave out the price, it doesn't really fit) Most people have never seen a betta in a healthy environment. They then ask me how to care for them, what to buy, etc...I've converted many to being addicted to this fish, and have encouraged many to look in your store for their new friend (connecting it back to the store).

Betta fans are a rabid bunch, just see the forum on www.tropicalfishkeeping.com! Fans lament the fact they can only find certain colors or tail types on AquaBid.com and have to order them from Thailand. People drop $100 on a fish they "have to have". (more needless things) If you change your way of keeping your bettas to divided large tanks then your already impressive selection of bettas would become even more attractive, and attract more sales.

Kept in a cold, tiny "betta bowl" or "picture frame", a betta fish will live a sad, boring life. I believe that if you showed your bettas in a fashion that was proper for their care, such as divided, heated, filtered tanks, it would stand out from all those other stores that merely keep them in small cups. I think if people see proper care for their bettas they wil then go home and start using that same proper fish care routine.

I suggest doing a summary sentence, going back over what you would like to see happen. I would also attach/send them pics of how your betta looked when you first got him, and how he looks now. you may also want to include a pic of the whole home.

[bettafish15]

Wonderful letter! Let us know if it works :D

[ashleyy]

Very nice!

and Celine's suggestions are very nice as well :]

[CrankyFish84]

Thank you Celine! I like the changes :) I will give it a shot....Hopefully they'll make baby steps to change things for the better!

[celine18]

you're welcome! i hope it works out!!! keep us posted with any changes!

[LikeDiscoSuperfly]

yes, keep us posted! hope i changes some things. =]